Alfred James Carver (22 March 1826 – 25 July 1909) was a noted educationalist and cleric who was Master of Dulwich College from 1858 to 1883.
He was educated at St Paul's School and went on to Trinity College, Cambridge where he was the Bell Scholar in 1845 and the winner of the Burney Prize Essay.
[3] The educational college was split into an Upper and Lower school (based on syllabus differences, not age) both of which were under Carver's control.
[7] In Carver's time, the college, despite a growing reputation, was the constant focus of pressure by the Charity Commissioners and other parties (including the Board of Governors and the outlying parishes named in Edward Alleyn's will) to reorganise it and divert much of its endowment to other schemes.
Canon Carver resisted these pressures for many years finally winning an appeal in 1876 at the highest possible point (the Privy Council) where Lord Selbourne ruled in his favour.
This passed into law by Act of Parliament and resulted in the Upper and Lower schools being officially split into separate institutions.
He is remembered at Dulwich College by the organ in the Great Hall, a wing of the old school library and reredos of the chapel.